Asian Games 2026: Nagoya Japan

The Asian Games, organised once every four years by the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), stands as the continent's largest multi sport event. First held in New Delhi in 1951 with just 11 participating countries, the Games were founded with the aim of rebuilding ties between Asian nations following the Second World War through the unifying power of sport.

The 20th edition, Aichi-Nagoya 2026, follows the hugely successful Hangzhou 2022 Games in China and will be Japan's biggest sporting event since it hosted the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and Paralympics. The Games will be centred around Nagoya, the capital of Aichi Prefecture, with competition venues spread across the wider Chubu and Kansai regions.

Nagoya was officially confirmed as host at the Asian Games closing ceremony in Hangzhou in October 2023, when the Games flag and torch were formally handed over to Aichi Prefecture Governor Hideaki Omura. This will be the third time Japan has hosted the Asian Games, following Tokyo in 1958 and Hiroshima in 1994, marking a 32-year gap since the country last staged the event.

• Main Venue: Nagoya City Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium (Paloma Mizuho Stadium), hosting both the opening and closing ceremonies.
• Host Region: Aichi Prefecture and Nagoya City, with additional venues in the wider Chubu and Kansai regions for select sports.
• Legacy Angle: The Games build on Aichi-Nagoya's experience hosting large international events, including EXPO 2005 Aichi and the UNESCO World Conference on ESD.

The opening ceremony of Asian Games 2026 is scheduled for 19 September 2026 at the Nagoya City Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium. As is tradition for the Games, a torch relay will precede the ceremony, with the flame lighting ceremony held at a historically significant site within the Aichi-Nagoya region before bearers carry it through the host prefecture in the lead-up to the Games.

Notably, while the official Games window runs from 19 September to 4 October, the detailed competition schedule released by organisers shows that certain sports will actually begin as early as 10 September meaning medal events will already be underway in several disciplines before the formal opening ceremony takes place.

Asian Games 2026 is expected to feature all 45 member nations and territories of the Olympic Council of Asia, continuing the Games' role as the most inclusive multi-sport gathering on the continent. Athletes will compete across five regional zones recognised by the OCA: Central Asia, East Asia, South Asia, South East Asia, and West Asia.

Following the conclusion of the Asian Games, Aichi-Nagoya will also host the 5th Asian Para Games from 18 to 24 October 2026, under the motto “Imagine One Heart,” at the same main venue making this the first time Japan has hosted the Asian Para Games.

Aichi-Nagoya 2026 will feature 43 sports across roughly 70 disciplines, offering approximately 468 gold medal events one of the most extensive sporting programmes in the Games' history. Alongside the full Olympic sports programme, the Asian Games continue their tradition of including disciplines with strong regional popularity across Asia.

The inclusion of mixed martial arts and surfing reflects the OCA's push to bring younger, growing sports into the Asian Games fold, while esports' return following its Hangzhou debut cements its place as a recurring part of the Games programme going forward.

Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya will feature 43 sports across multiple disciplines, combining Olympic events, traditional Asian sports, and emerging competitions. The programme reflects the diversity of Asian sport, with major events like athletics, swimming, badminton and boxing alongside regional favourites such as kabaddi, wushu and sepak takraw.

The Aichi-Nagoya 2026 sports programme continues the Asian Games tradition of combining global Olympic disciplines with Asia's most popular sporting events. The inclusion of esports, surfing and mixed martial arts highlights the Games' focus on attracting younger audiences and expanding the reach of modern sports.

The official mascot of Asian Games 2026 is a tiger-fish character, inspired by Shachihoko — a mythical creature with the head of a tiger and the body of a fish that serves as a well-known symbol of Aichi-Nagoya, famously seen atop Nagoya Castle. Organisers have described the mascot as being born from the passion and flame in the hearts of athletes, embodying the Games' official motto, “Imagine One Asia.”

Note: At the time of unveiling, the mascot had not yet been given an official name; organisers indicated this would be announced closer to the Games as part of the promotional campaign.

Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya will feature 43 sports across multiple disciplines, combining Olympic events, traditional Asian sports, and emerging competitions. The programme reflects the diversity of Asian sport, with major events like athletics, swimming, badminton and boxing alongside regional favourites such as kabaddi, wushu and sepak takraw.

The Aichi-Nagoya 2026 sports programme continues the Asian Games tradition of combining global Olympic disciplines with Asia's most popular sporting events. The inclusion of esports, surfing and mixed martial arts highlights the Games' focus on attracting younger audiences and expanding the reach of modern sports.

The official mascot of Asian Games 2026 is a tiger-fish character, inspired by Shachihoko — a mythical creature with the head of a tiger and the body of a fish that serves as a well-known symbol of Aichi-Nagoya, famously seen atop Nagoya Castle. Organisers have described the mascot as being born from the passion and flame in the hearts of athletes, embodying the Games' official motto, “Imagine One Asia.”

Note: At the time of unveiling, the mascot had not yet been given an official name; organisers indicated this would be announced closer to the Games as part of the promotional campaign.

For audiences in India, Asian Games 2026 will be broadcast live on the Sony Sports Network channels, with streaming available on SonyLIV. This marks the third consecutive Asian Games broadcast by Sony Pictures Networks India, extending one of Indian sport's most consistent multi-sport broadcasting partnerships.

India arrives at Aichi-Nagoya 2026 on the back of its most successful Asian Games campaign in history. At Hangzhou 2022, India crossed the 100-medal mark at the Asian Games for the first time ever, finishing with a total of 107 medals, including 28 gold — a landmark achievement that has significantly raised expectations and viewership interest ahead of the Aichi-Nagoya edition.

• Hangzhou 2022 Result: 107 total medals (28 Gold, 38 Silver, 41 Bronze) — India's best-ever Asian Games showing.
• Flag Bearer at Hangzhou Closing Ceremony: Hockey player P. R. Sreejesh represented India as the games concluded and the flag passed to Japan.
• Broadcast Partner: Sony Sports Network and SonyLIV, continuing their multi-edition Asian Games partnership with India.

The closing ceremony of Asian Games 2026 will take place on 4 October 2026, bringing the Games to a close after just over two weeks of competition. As per tradition, the ceremony will include the formal handover of the Asian Games flag and torch to the next host.

The next edition, the 21st Asian Games, will be held in Doha, Qatar, in 2030, when the Games return to West Asia. Immediately following the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, the same host region will also stage the 5th Asian Para Games from 18 to 24 October 2026, extending Japan's role as Asia's sporting host city well into the autumn of 2026.

• Japan's first Asian Games in 32 years, and its biggest sporting event since the Tokyo 2020 Olympics
• The largest ever Asian Games sports programme, spanning Olympic disciplines alongside regionally significant sports like kabaddi and sepaktakraw
• A crucial follow up test for India after its historic 107-medal haul at Hangzhou 2022
• The continued growth of esports and the debut of mixed martial arts and surfing on the Asian Games stage

With competition set to begin in September 2026, Aichi-Nagoya is shaping up to be one of the most closely watched editions of the Asian Games in recent memory both for the scale of its sporting programme and for what it means for Asia's rising sporting nations, India included.